Elements of Jewish Identity in Ben Sira

Three important elements for identity are ethnicity, culture, and religion. Accordingly, this article considers Ben Sira’s understanding of Jewish ethnicity (including nation and geography), his notion of Jewish culture (especially language and history), and his view of Jewish religion (involving belief and halakhah). Out of all the surviving Hebrew wisdom texts from the Second Temple period, Ben Sira’s work contains the most explicit references to Jewish nationhood, especially in the Praise of the Ancestors (Sir 44:1-50:24). Whereas temple worship is a major element, the references to other distinctive Jewish halakhic practices are often indirect. Thus, while the sage once mentions circumcision (44:20), and indirectly refers to the sabbath (33:7-9), some other important markers of Jewish identity are absent from his book, such as the dietary laws.